Dining with Dad
by Arallute
Summary: Han and Leia enter the dining hall on Cloud City, meet Vader...and then what happens? This little story fills in the gaps between scenes. If you want another gap filled, I suggest you read the lovely one-shot "Dark Cloud" by MandyQ, which addresses the night Han and Leia spend in their cell.
1. Chapter 1

Vader waited patiently in the dining hall for his quarry. It had been a merry chase; the Rebel pilot had eluded him for two whole months. A good pilot, Vader admitted to himself. The man had flown through an asteroid field, with no help from the Force. One did have to admire good piloting.

If reports were correct—and they very well had better be correct, or heads would roll—Solo and Princess Organa were Luke's closest friends. If Vader had them, he would come. Vader could almost taste it. Luke would come to him.

The door slid open, admitting the Rebels and Calrissian. Vader felt rather than saw the blaster bolts coming his way, and easily held a hand up to deflect them. Nice try, he thought smugly. The weapon flew to him. "We would be honored if you would join us."

The Rebels stepped towards him. Vader noticed Solo and the Princess were holding hands. Well, well. He could certainly use that.

Calrissian, the administrator of the city, chattered nervously. "Lord Vader, this is Han Solo, and his copilot Chewbacca." Solo's eyes shot daggers at his traitorous friend. What can you expect from a politician, Vader mused. Vain, self-interested, easily turned.

Calrissian continued, indicating Organa: "And this is Leia, a traveling companion of Solo's. No one important."

Vader tilted his head at her. Is that how she'd presented herself? Obviously, she hadn't trusted Calrissian any more than Vader would have. "Calrissian," Vader rumbled, amused, "perhaps it is I who should make the introductions. May I present Her Highness Leia Organa, former Imperial senator, former princess of the former planet of Alderaan"—Vader sensed hatred, as strong as a Sith, emanating from the girl—"current leader of the Rebel Alliance, and the biggest traitor in the history of our Emperor's government. Your Highness, meet Lando Calrissian: no one important." Vader dipped his head towards the administrator. "Did you think," he said sardonically but slowly, as if speaking to a child, "I was after the Wookiee?"

Calrissian's eyes widened in understanding. His gaze shot from Vader to Organa, who glared hotly at him. His eyes skipped away and settled on his friend Solo, who gave him the same smoldering look the princess had.

Vader addressed her. "It's been a long time, Princess. You always managed to escape my grip and slither back into whatever holes the Rebellion could find for you. But I have you now, and I'm excited by the prospect of finally giving you the execution you deserve."

Organa lifted her chin and regarded him coolly. "If that's all that gets you excited, Vader, you need to get out more."

Calrissian's jaw dropped open, and Solo snorted. Vader turned on the captain. "You find that amusing, Solo?"

The Corellian gave him a crooked grin. "Yeah, actually, I do."

Vader nodded once, as anger and humiliation crept up his neck like a rash. He reached his arm back and punched the princess on the side of the head, knocking her to the carpeted floor. He kicked her a few times, and she rolled into a ball. There, he felt better. "Get up."

From the ground came a muffled but unambiguous "No."

He kicked her again, harder, and was rewarded with the loud crack of a rib. "Get up!" he roared.

The princess glared at him fiercely. "I don't take orders!" she yelled, matching his tone.


	2. Chapter 2

Her words would have taken my breath away, if the damned respirator had allowed that. I had heard those words before, at…at a reception for…whom? It was some diplomatic function, during the Clone Wars. I looked down at myself, still whole, still in the brown robe of a Jedi. Glasses clinked together, wine flowed, and politicians exchanged meaningless small talk. I kept an expression of professional Jedi detachment on my face, but my eyes tracked Padmé, my love, my talisman. She was dressed in rich green velvet with her chestnut hair braided elaborately. She had that bland pleasant look that she wore when she was feigning interest in stuck-up people. I just wanted to get her alone somewhere, to see her smile at me, to unbraid that hair and feel her body alight with desire….

Stop. Stop thinking about this.

But that sentence, who had said that?

Chancellor Palpatine's aide, Mas Amedda, approached Padmé and bowed, tilting his lethorns towards her. The gesture looked vaguely threatening. I tried to listen without looking like I was listening, and I noticed that Bail Organa, standing nearby, was suddenly very attentive to the conversation as well. Amedda was warning Padmé not to challenge the Chancellor's newly expanded powers. "Undermining our leadership in times of war could be perceived by some as sedition, Senator Amidala. So you _will_ rethink your position."

She lifted her chin and stared right into his blue face. "Mister Amedda," she told him haughtily, loud enough for her voice to carry, "I don't take orders."

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How dare this princess speak like Padmé? How dare she have Padmé's brown eyes or her regal bearing? How dare she remind him?

Vader drew back his leg, this time aiming at that impudent, arrogant, beautiful face. But before he could pummel her the way he wanted to, Captain Solo jumped between them, embraced Organa and pulled her to a standing position behind him. Vader overheard Solo frantically whisper in her ear. "Stubborn girl!"

Stubborn girl indeed.

Vader whirled around. "Calrissian!" he called. "I requested an interrogation chamber to be set up. Is it ready?"

Calrissian's face was the color of ash. "Yes, milord," he murmured guiltily.

"Good," Vader gestured to the waiting stormtrooper squadron. "Take him there." He pulled Solo backwards by his black jacket and tossed him at the troopers.

At that, Organa actually looked alarmed. "He doesn't know anything, Vader," she snarled.

"Well, perhaps you can save us all some trouble by telling us what _you_ know, Your Highness," Vader replied smoothly. "Lieutenant Sheckil," he greeted the officer who had just arrived in the dining hall, "perhaps you could see to that?"

"Yes, Lord Vader." The officer looked down at her appraisingly before taking hold of her red sleeve. Solo exchanged a look with her, then shook his head at the Wookiee, as the stormtroopers pulled him down the corridor. Vader followed.

Now, Vader thought. To work.


	3. Chapter 3

Han's eyes snapped open. His neck was sore, his back twitching. Everything ached. _Must've passed out,_ he thought. He was still strapped to the scan grid, but Vader was gone and the two stormtroopers were chatting quietly with each other, their job finished. _If they know I'm awake, will they start zapping me again?_ Before he could elaborate on that semi-coherent thought, the Imps noticed Han's open eyes. After consulting with some voice in their helmets, they moved him to a cell.

"I feel terrible," Han said to Chewie.

"You've looked better," his friend answered soothingly, setting Han onto a hard metal cot. Han lay back immediately and tried to relax his cramping muscles.

The stormtroopers opened the cell door again, this time to throw Leia in. _Why'd you change out of the red outfit?_ Han thought dreamily. _I liked the red outfit._ He closed his eyes as she knelt at his side and kissed him. That helped. A lot.

Then Lando came into their cell and began some pathetically defensive justification for betraying their friendship. After Han punched him, he left. "You certainly have a way with people," Leia commented drily. He tried grinning at her, but that hurt the muscles in his face, so he just gave up and leaned on her, letting her baby him for once. She and Chewie lay him back onto the cot.

Leia dipped a corner of her shirt into the water basin and washed his face. "Lando's our best chance for getting out of here," she scolded him gently. "You have to be nice to him, or at least stay quiet and let me do the talking next time."

"I can't believe he sold us out. I can't believe I trusted him." Han sat up to face her. "And I really can't believe that I put him above you."

"You didn't."

"I did. You said you didn't trust him, that you had a feeling about him. I was actually kinda annoyed at you for not liking my friend, for not trusting me to, y'know, keep you safe." Han looked down, and then back up into her eyes. "I won't do that again. Next time your instincts kick in about a guy and I don't believe you, just say 'Lando' or something as a codeword and I'll remember this."

She smiled at him. "Okay."

"I know I promised you nothing bad would happen to us here," Han went on quietly. "I _promised_ you." His voice cracked. "This is the first promise I've ever broken. In my life."

Leia shook her head, not really knowing how to respond. He was being too nice to her again, and she was getting uncomfortable. Sarcastic comments and snide remarks were much more familiar coming from Han Solo, and easier for her to deal with. She decided to focus his attention on something practical: how to manipulate Lando.


	4. Chapter 4

Han, Leia, and Chewbacca spent an unsettled night in the cold cell. The Imperials kept the overhead lights on bright, so that sleep only came fitfully. Han kept himself curled around his princess. The next morning, they were fed—finally—and then Lando came for a visit.

Leia surreptitiously unsnapped the top of her white blouse and glided over to the administrator. "Lando," she breathed. "I'm so glad you're all right." She stood close to him, fixing her chestnut eyes on his.

Surprised but pleased at her apparent change of heart, Lando offered her a confident smile. "Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I know you know how to take care of yourself," she flattered, "but you can't trust Vader. He'll double-cross you."

Lando looked down at her, keeping his smile frozen in place. "I'll be fine." He appraised her. "Are you really a princess?"

Han rolled his eyes. This was too much.

Leia nodded. "The crown princess of Alderaan, the only heir of my mother the Queen." She paused meaningfully. "And since I'm the only member of my family left, I'm the sole heir to all the off-world wealth of my planet."

Lando shot Han a look. _So that's why you like her,_ he said with his eyes. Han shook his head and looked away. He'd said he'd be nice to this loser, so he was going to be nice. Or at least mute.

A question from the petite princess made Lando look back at her. "How much of it would you like?"

"How much of what?" he replied dumbly.

"How much of my money would you like? As payment for saving us, I mean. A few hundred thousand?"

This time, the charming smile wouldn't appear on Lando's face. "I…I can't go against…I mean, I want to help, but I…you don't understand…."

Leia stayed close to him and looked right into his eyes. "I understand you better than you think I do. You're in charge of Cloud City. These are _your people,_ and your first duty is to them. Vader threatened to destroy the city, didn't he? Or take it over and enslave everyone in service to the Empire? I understand duty, Baron Calrissian. I was raised to put my people first." She paused. "Vader made me face a similarly impossible choice as you've been given. I chose my friends in the Alliance over my home." Leia swallowed hard, refocused. "But you have to know that he'll never leave this city alone. It's too profitable. You've lost it. All you can do now is warn your people to evacuate, then cut your losses and run." She moved even closer to him, held her face close to his and touched his arm. "Take me with you," she whispered.

 _Gods,_ Han thought. _She's a better smooth talker than I am. We might actually get out of here._ He exchanged a look with Chewbacca, who seemed to be thinking the same thing as Han. The Wookiee looked admiringly at the princess.

"I can't," Lando stammered, though his resistance was crumbling. "If Vader catches me, I'm dead."

Han piped up from across the room. "Hey, you're probably dead anyway. Vader might just make an example out of you." Leia threw him a stern 'let me handle this' look.

"I know how much this city means to you, how proud you are of all you've accomplished here," Leia continued encouragingly. "It's a beautiful place. And you deserve to be compensated for its loss, at least financially if in no other way. But you have to get out of here, before the Empire sets up a permanent presence."

"Vader will hunt me down."

"Don't worry about that," Leia went on. "The Alliance will protect you, either in our base or on a safe-world, anywhere you want. Just help us get out."

Confused, Lando turned away from her. "I'm very sorry for what's happening to you. And I'll do my best to negotiate with Vader on your behalf. But…I have to go now." He couldn't meet her gaze. And he left.

Leia looked over at Han and shrugged.

"Well," he drawled, sauntering over to her, _"I'd_ rescue you."

She grinned up at him as he draped an arm around her shoulders. "You always do."

 _Four hours later…_

"Well, Calrissian, is he alive?" Vader asked impatiently. If the smuggler hadn't survived the carbon-freezing procedure, he couldn't use the method on Luke. He'd have to convince the boy to come with him willingly. But how? Should he suggest that Luke might have the opportunity to kill the Emperor in a face-to-face meeting? That possibility would surely convince any idealistic young rebel to come along to Coruscant. Or use his friend the princess, perhaps? Luke's feelings for her might be sufficient to….

Lando interrupted the Sith Lord's thoughts. "Yes, he's alive. And in perfect hibernation."

Relieved, Vader said, "Good. Reset the chamber for Skywalker."

He considered the princess, who was staring unblinkingly at the slab of the frozen Solo. The girl might come in handy as a bargaining tool with Luke, he mused. Torturing her would certainly anger the boy, maybe push him over the edge. Besides, he very much wanted to break Senator Organa's little girl. She had resisted or evaded Vader far too often, and her natural Force ability intrigued him. She probably wasn't even aware of her power. Her defenses were formidable, but so was her anger. What might he make out of her?

"Calrissian, bring the Princess and the Wookiee to my ship."

Lando whined, "You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision."

Vader rolled his eyes behind the mask. The man honestly thought he'd just leave a leader of the Rebellion roaming free? "I am altering the deal," he informed Calrissian. "Pray I don't alter it any further."

Calrissian stood and tried to take Organa's arm. She yanked it away viciously. Vader thought—and hoped—she might just turn and punch the man. He shared the princess's sentiment. Naïve fools needed a good punch sometimes.


End file.
